Explicit Material
by Kyonomiko
Summary: Draco Malfoy and Theo Nott find some questionable material amongst the Head Girl's post and become a bit intrigued by Hermione Granger. EWE 8th year Dramione. Though the title might suggest otherwise, this is a soft 'M'.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: My name isn't Jo, though it starts with a "J", so I don't own much. Except maybe some explicit material...**

"What is that?"

Draco saunters into the common room shared by Head Girl Hermione Granger and his friend Theo Nott.

Slytherin house on the whole had been shocked to find out one of their own had been made Head Boy in the current post-war climate. McGonagall, for all her prim countenance and straight-laced sensibilities, has proven to at least be more fair-minded toward the houses than her predecessors.

Theo looks up at him, surprised to find him there and looking possibly a bit guilty. He is grasping what appears to be a magazine in his hand and hiding it partially behind his body as Draco approaches. "Nothing. Just some muggle nonsense. You wouldn't be interested."

Draco doesn't even pause as he slips his arm around Theo's back and snags the glossy parchment from his friend. He's been working on his reflexes recently. It's his eighth year and by Merlin he is not going to let Potter take the snitch from him again.

"What could possibly be so-"

He finds himself staring down at a buxom blonde wearing nothing but a strip of fabric across her breasts and another tiny triangle covering her sex. His eyes are wide when he looks back up at Theo who now looks amused if anything and tries to snag the item back. "Give it here, you prude."

His hackles rise and he stiffens, momentarily forgetting the magazine but still managing to hold tightly enough that Theo can't swipe it back. "I'm no such thing. I've been with girls..."

Nott crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow in that calculating and haughty way he has. "You've been with _one_ girl and you were so ashamed that first time you wouldn't go home for the hols in case your mother could somehow tell."

Draco tries to relax his stance and look casual. "Just because you'll chase anything in a skirt... I'm not... I'm just incredibly discerning," he finally lands on and studies his perfectly manicured nails.

Theo waves off his protests and tries for the magazine yet again. "Whatever, Drake, just give it here before Granger comes back."

Draco's eyes go wide. "This is _Granger's_? What in the fuck is she doing with something like this?"

"Probably confiscated it from some muggleborn wizard, killjoy that she is. I just thought it was a shame no one was enjoying it. It might accidently end up in my room," he winks

Draco looks back down and starts flipping through the pages. Each time he turns he is confronted with a gorgeous woman with her most intimate parts barely covered. Of course witches and wizards wear undergarments. They share a physique with muggles after all so it follows their needs would be similar. Witches have supportive items to give their breasts a standard perky shape and wizards have small clothes under their robes, but what he sees here is like something else entirely.

His first time with a girl, he had pulled Pansy Parkinson's top over her head to reveal a strange white contraption with wide straps over her shoulder. It had taken him two full minutes of trying to undo the line of six hooks on her back before resorting to his wand. Oddly, Alohomora had worked on the garment as if a lock on a door.

These images are _nothing_ like that. The second page immediately catches his eye. A beautiful brunette with warm honey-colored eyes is wearing an emerald green brassiere with black lace trim. The cups are cut so low that the material is spilled over with the swell of her breasts. She pouts at the camera, running a hand into her luxuriously curled hair. The color and length remind him quite a bit of the Head Girl actually. Not to mention those captivating eyes. He could easily imagine if that green was a gift, a Slytherin nod just for him, her gazing at him longingly with her plump lips, parted and wet...

Draco turns the page quickly as he feels arousal settle in and remembers himself. After about six pages, Theo finds his opportunity as rips the magazine out of the hands of a nearly shell-shocked Draco.

"Hey!"

Theo is nonplussed and steps away, heading as if to his private room and grins. "Finders keepers, Malfoy. I'll see you for dinner. I have a date with-"

"There it is!" Theo had been backing slowly into his own room, eyeing Draco in victory, and hadn't noticed the witch with whom he shares the dorm had emerged from her own chamber. "I've been looking everywhere for that."

Stepping to Theo, she swipes the magazine from him happily, completely oblivious to his look of surprise and disappointment.

Draco slips into his familiar smirk, pretending the usual confidence and swagger he always portrays, and gestures toward the magazine. "Going straight to the Headmistress with that are you, Granger? Always the little swot."

She huffs and rolls her eyes. "When _you've_ broken into a goblin bank you can judge my capacity for rule following. Anyway, why would I take it to anyone; it's mine."

Both boys feel their jaws hang open and they slowly turn from the witch in question to look at each other. Mentally they are scrambling over one another to get close to this suddenly exceptionally intriguing girl.

Unfortunately, before either of them can even speak, she is heading back to her bedroom and shutting the door behind her. They hear the tumblers click indicating she has locked her door.

Draco and Theo both let out a breath, Theo's paired with a low whistle. "Well that was unexpected."

Draco nods toward the door and questions, "You don't think she's...? I mean _right now_ do you think she's in there...?"

The smile is slow to start and then Nott is just shaking his head in awed bemusement. "That little lioness surprises me at every turn. I know I've always had a "No Gryffindor" policy but I might have to make an exception."

XXXXX

In the following days, Draco watches Hermione a lot.

More than usual.

More than he would have admitted.

Truthfully he's been watching her since term began. She came back from the summer, from the war, with an astounding presence. Suddenly she was more than the pretty-in-a-mousy-way she had been in years past. She held her head high but not with the put-on haughtiness of her youth. She wore a smile like she knew a secret and confidence like an accessory.

He started watching her in classes first, when everyone was busy and no one paid him any attention. Then it was in the Great Hall. She sat with more people. Always with Potter and Weasley of course but their little social network seemed to grow. The she-Weasel plops down next to her one day; that annoying Brown girl across from her on another. Looney Lovegood strolls over from Ravenclaw. Then it's Finnegan and Thomas and the surviving Creevey

And they aren't there for Potter. They speak to him, sure, but they sit next to Granger, engage with Granger. They laugh and nudge and lightly touch her and he knows he's jealous when Finnegan throws an arm over her shoulder and she laughs but she doesn't shove him away.

She would assuredly shove Draco away, he knows.

He pouts a bit, when no one is looking. He feels stupid over the whole thing. Why is he even looking? Why bother? Isn't she shagging the Weasel anyway?

No apparently, he found out during their second week, she is not. Not anymore at least. He doesn't like to think that maybe she had. Currently, the red-headed tosser is wrapped up with Hannah Abbot, Draco learns from Tracey Davis.

Not that he was asking. Not that he _cared_. Just always smart to know what's happening around you, he had told Tracey with a shrug.

Now he's _really_ watching. And so, it seems, is Theo. They catch each other looking more often than he likes. Draco wants to tell Theo to find another witch to ogle; he wants to stake a claim. But what would be the point in that? Theo has a much better shot anyway, his history with her less tainted than Draco's.

When Granger walks into the common room it's always "Hi, Theo" with a big grin and then a cool "Malfoy" barely acknowledging the blond in the room.

A full week after the incident with the magazine, he's in the common room again, drinking some contraband Fire Whiskey with Theo and Greg, when Granger glides into the room having just come from dinner.

"Evening, boys." She only addresses him that friendly when he's within a group.

In her hands she has what looks like her post from the day. A Quibbler sits on the bottom, poking out from underneath a hand-written envelope he recognizes as her mother's handwriting (again, he's been watching her a _lot_ ) and then a glossy magazine between. He can't make out the entire cover but there is definitely a woman on the front and, from what he can tell, she's not entirely decent.

He's staring with wide eyes when he feels Theo nudge him, giving him the "eye" to straighten up and stop being so obvious.

"Join us for a drink, Granger?" Theo lifts a glass in her direction, obviously attempting to distract her from noticing Draco's stare.

Draco slips back into his usual swagger and scoffs. "Why are you offering it to her? She'll probably turn us in for having it."

She glares at Draco and cocks her head. "Why are you always so confrontational? Still upset to be on the losing side?"

It's a low blow and they both know it. He lost a war he never wanted to fight and paid a high price when the ministry halved his fortune and restricted his father to house arrest, tainting the dignity of his family name.

Theo jumps in quickly to diffuse the tension he is all too familiar with between them. "Ignore this prick and drink with us. Come on, live a little."

He offers the glass again and she rolls her eyes but moves forward and drops the mail on the coffee table, snagging the glass as she does. Both Draco and Theo stare down at the magazine in question, noticing the letter slid away to reveal a portion of the woman's nearly bare breasts.

Her shudder and rather vocal, "Blech," draws both of them back to attention. "That is just awful. I'll drink with you when you have something better."

"We're fresh out of fruit juice with tiny umbrellas. Join us when you can handle a real drink." Draco is aware his tone is more than challenging, way past banter, and heading into the realm of cruel.

He earns another glare before she stomps to her room and comes back a moment later with a bottle of her own. She sets it down hard between them and takes off the cap. Draco swears he can smell it from where he sits. "What in Merlin's Pointy Hat is _this_?"

"Scotch. It was a gift from my father to congratulate me on making Head Girl." The bottle is an opaque black with silver writing.

Theo throws back what's left of his drink and leans forward, offering his glass. "I'm game."

Hermione pours four tumbles with barely two fingers of the stuff and passes them around. She hands them carefully to Theo and even Greg. To Draco, she sets it down in front of him, he assumes to assure they don't so much as brush fingertips.

Theo starts to throw it back but Granger stops him quickly. "No! No, this is a sipping liquor. Savor it. Let it warm your throat and fill your breath," she mimes by tracing her hand down her slender neck. She takes a sip and the three boys stare at her, transfixed and nearly panting as she closes her eyes and licks her lips. She inhales softly and then opens her eyes to find them staring. "What?"

They all three look down at their own glasses and take a slow sip. Draco is the first to speak. "It tastes like the inside of a Floo."

Granger laughs and he feels an odd warmth that he made it happen.

"The level of smoke is one of the most notable aspects of scotch flavor. The first time I tried it I told my father it tasted like someone stamped out a campfire in my esophagus."

"I like it." Greg is smacking his lips and looks at Granger with something like respect. "I'm going to hang around up here more often."

She laughs again and there's that jealousy, coming out to play. Draco has to school the frown threatening to tighten his mouth as he watches Greg fucking Goyle, who a year ago would have held her under crucio at the end of his wand, grinning at her and drinking her _muggle_ drink.

Then again, people in glass houses and all that... Maybe bringing up Greg's former loyalties, even within the privacy of his mind, is counter-productive to accepting his own shifting attitudes and affections.

"Well with that, I'm off to bed." She rises and stretches a kink from her back. Grabbing the bottle she heads toward her room and walks in, her door shutting behind her.

"Oi," Greg calls and starts to grab at the post she left behind.

Both Theo and Draco shush him violently and wave their hands in a frantic way for him to quiet himself immediately. He looks at them in question and Theo leans over the table, flicking the letter the rest of the way off the magazine cover.

It's comical, how wide Goyle's eyes suddenly expand on his pudgy face. "What is that...?" This time the cover is a red head wearing a blue nightie with a dangerously low scoop in the front and devastatingly short skirt on the top of perfect milky thighs.

Theo hooks his thumb back toward her door and mouths, "it's hers. Granger."

"Cor..."

In a near repeat of the previous Friday night, Hermione emerges once again and makes for the table. She grins and bends down to grab it. "Forgot my post. My mum will be cross if I don't respond back."

She doesn't seem to notice their silence and is once again shut away in her room, locking the door audibly, when Greg breathes out and looks at his friends with his still-saucer eyes.

Theo snorts and takes a sip of his scotch. "Sure, writing her mum... I'm sure _that's_ what she's doing in the privacy of her room right now."

Draco nearly chokes on his drink at the mental image.

 **A/N Hi! So I was pondering, purebloods are so old world in their sensibilities... What might some of our favorite Eighth year boys think of muggle sexual culture? Draco is so often painted as being the Don Juan and Hermione the virginal goody-two-shoes. But individual culture taken into account, I think it's quite likely she would be more versed by this point in their lives.**

 **It was going to be a fluffy little one shot but it got a bit out of hand so as of now it's a 3-part. Hope you are enjoying and would love reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

Weeks pass into the year and Draco spends more and more time in the Heads dormitory. He often spends the night crashed in their common room after an evening with Theo (usually drinking) past curfew. He mostly manages to sneak out in the morning before she wakes but it seems the resident Head Girl is having trouble sleeping on this cold November morning

"You're up early."

Hermione jumps and gasps, swinging around to glare at Draco. He was lounging half asleep on the sofa in the common room when he heard Hermione emerge and head toward the kitchenette.

"Malfoy… what are you still doing here at this hour?"

He whispers a charm on the wall sconce and the room is bathed in a low light. Sitting up, he allows the quilt to fall from his chest, intentionally revealing himself in his fitted, short sleeved undergarment, hoping to affect her.

He's not disappointed when he sees her cheeks go pink. She turns around hastily and withdraws a mug from the cupboard. "You really should head back to Slytherin, you know. This is entirely-"

"Against the rules?"

"I was going to say bothersome. But yes, it is now that you mention it. Why don't you run along to the dungeons?"

He frowns. It seems he is more resistible than he's been led to believe.

"I thought you were a rule-breaking expert. Bank robber and all. What changed?"

"I break rules based on my own needs and desires. Your rule-breaking on the other hand seems to be putting you in my personal space. I rather like having a private common room. If I could just ditch Theo I could wander around in my knickers."

Under his breath he mumbles, slightly bitter, "I highly doubt you'd hear _him_ complain if you did."

He knows she heard anyway when she stops shuffling around in a cabinet and then shakes her head. He thinks she won't comment at all until she finally clears her throat and says with somewhat forced nonchalance, "I'm sure Nott has more… appropriate girls with which he can concern himself."

"Well he does have that "No Gryffindor" policy now that you mention it."

She snorts in reply. "You're more than aware that's not what I meant."

Draco nods and looks away. "I'm aware. Seems you are determined to punish me for my transgressions with constant discomfort." Rising, he starts to pull his jumper back over his head. "Perhaps I _will_ make my way back down. At least in the dungeon I know where I stand."

She doesn't seem done snarking yet. "Back where you can play pureblood prince you mean? Stand on the backs of your lessers?"

He eyes her as he slips his shoes back onto his feet. "Don't be obtuse, Granger. I'm sure you're aware my standing is not as high as it once was. Why do you think I spend so much time up here with Theo," he asks.

"Because it's easier to sneak liquor into the Heads dorm. And possibly the added bonus of tormenting me with your prejudiced retorts."

"You know what, fuck you." Grabbing his robes he is stomping toward the door, exhausted of her more than obvious efforts to brush off any real emotions he might have. As far as his alleged prejudice, he thought he'd done a decent job of keeping any jabs to her tenacity for school work rather than any nod to her heritage.

Before he makes it too far, he feels her hand on his arm.

"Sorry. I can tell you're trying, in your own way. You're not as cruel to me as you used to be. I just… even with the war over I still have to live with it… To know deep down I'm just a mudblood to people like you."

"People like me? What, _Death Eaters_? Merlin, Granger, you think that's a label I'm proud to wear now?"

To his horror she pulls up the sleeve of her dressing gown to show where his aunt carved her like a Yule goose and begins to trace the letters. M… U… "I guess we both wear our labels. More than most people anyway."

He is quiet when he replies simply but with sincerity "We're more than our marks. You are anyway and I have to believe I am."

She nods and offers him a soft smile. They stand for a moment, both pondering something unspoken, when she finally makes a show of adjusting the tie on her dressing gown and turning back to her room, he empty mug forgotten. "Well, good night then, Malfoy. You can stay on the couch if you like. Wouldn't want Filch to get his hands on you, would we?"

He grins at her back before settling himself down and finding a more restful sleep.

Things are different after that.

In the weeks that follow, their rapport seems to settle away from their antagonistic tone to something more pleasant. His curiosity about her, that bit of exotic intrigue she represented as a muggleborn, becomes less of a nuisance and increasingly hard to ignore.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She's giggling when he walks in this time. Fucking _giggling_.

Theo and Granger are sitting in their shared common room together and it strikes Draco in a most unpleasant way. His best (nearly only) friend and this... this girl...sitting together. Alone.

Giggling.

Draco covers this odd feeling that tastes like jealousy, though he's not sure to whom it's directed and flops down on the sofa next to Granger. "Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen... and Granger." He smirks at her and she huffs but there is no longer heat in their exchange.

"What brings you here so very early, Drake? Pansy trying to play 'hide the basilisk' again?"

He shudders a little, remembering when she had used that exact phrase in an attempt to rekindle their sexual relationship. It had been so crass, so inelegant, he couldn't bring himself to speak to her for days.

"Just wondering what my favorite Head is doing this evening. You too Theo." He offers a wink at Granger and she rolls her eyes.

"We," Theo gestures between Hermione and himself, "were just discussing a trip to Hogsmead. We can do that you know, _Heads_ and all." He grins in that cat-with-the-cream way he has and Draco knows he's trying to get under his skin. Was the attention he'd been paying Granger that obvious? Since the magazines and the alcohol and then that one evening where they seemed to reach an unspoken truce, he knows he's skirting around infatuation.

He crosses his arms in a bit of a pout, half put-on and half sincere. "That's hardly fair now is it? What will I do all alone on a Friday night?"

Granger offers in that bossy, swotty way of hers, "I'm sure there's a witch somewhere happy to keep you company, Slytherin Sex-God that you're rumoured to be."

"I hate that fucking name," he complains. "So tasteless."

"Is that a protest to the turn of phrase or the implication behind it?" Theo asks, knowing full well the answer. Draco blushes in embarrassment and a little ire.

"Don't ask stupid questions, Nott." He always defaults to Theo's surname when he's being particularly annoying. He seems to call him that a lot, now that he thinks on it. _Prat._

"I'll leave you to your little date then," he sneers and gets up to leave.

"If you're bored," Granger begins, "I've got some magazines here. And some books of course. You could hang out here until we're back." Hermione makes the offer and it doesn't sound like pity. More that she's actually being considerate. Though he spends many evenings with them, this is the first time she's really seemed to, not only accept it, but be the one to invite him.

"Tell you what," Theo starts, "you stay here and we'll be back in an hour. Honestly I just wanted to pop in to Honeydukes and maybe pick up some new Quidditch pads. Granger was just going to walk with me and hit the book shop."

Draco considers and finally sits back down. He's secretly relieved by the nature of their venture, not as date-like as he'd assumed. Though Theo still pays her a lot of attention, Draco has started to suspect his interest in her is more put on to goad Draco then any real unrequited affection. "Fine. Bring me some chocolate. You owe me twenty galleons anyway."

He settles in and watches his friends (both friends? When did that happen?) as they ready themselves and head out of the dorm. Theo gives him a little salute and Granger waggles her fingertips casually.

The heads are gone no more than one minute when Draco tears himself off the sofa and ventures into Granger's room to look through her reading materials. She offered, after all, so it's not like he's snooping.

So if he happens to find one of those muggle magazines she gets in the post, it's hardly his fault right?

First he tries "Accio Granger's pornography". He's excited when what looks sort of like a book flies into his hand. The cover looks something like the magazines. A nearly bare witch in an alluring pose. It reads "XXX" but he doesn't understand the strange muggle word. Opening the item, he is disappointed to find nothing but a flat metal disk. He quickly returns it from where it flew from her bedside table and decides to search without magic.

Fortunately it doesn't take him long to find a veritable jackpot. Sitting in a little wooden rack by her side table is a stack of the magazines in question. He has a moment where he wonders if he could get away with using one now. The idea of wanking in Granger's bedroom is enough to arouse him. He knows it wouldn't take him long.

He decides however to play a long game. Better to take it with him, sneak it out into somewhere safe to use over and over. He has probably forty minutes left of their hour; plenty of time to get it back to his dorm.

He does a quick look through the stack. Some have been dog-eared on certain pages. He thinks to leave those, assuming them to be her favourite and not wanting to take anything she might miss. The first one is labeled as being from September of this year on the cover and there are as many as five marked pages.

Grabbing one from last July that doesn't seem to have any creased corners, he is flipping through from a busty blonde in a red brassiere that pushes her breasts high and nearly together, to a brunette in a hot pink _something_...

He can't help but imagine, to envision the scene that happened in this room. Granger laying on her bed in some barely-there night wear, a silk sheet puddled around her waist and her warm brown eyes smouldering at the sexy bodies on the page. He can see her free hand carefully slipping beneath the sheet out of view, only the shifting of the bedding giving an indication of what she's secretly doing in her room. He can hear her breath hitch as she finally stops teasing her folds, focusing instead on that tiny sensitive bundle that will bring her completion. A warm blush would infuse her cheeks, pink and innocent, directly in opposition to the naughty witch she is in private.

Maybe he _, Draco,_ had been right outside, not ten feet from her door in her common room. Maybe she had listened to _his_ voice, his velvety drawl many a witch has complimented, as she touched herself so intimately.

Sweet Salazar, he needs to stop before he's too far gone. Tucking the magazine into his robes he makes for the Slytherin dungeons and hides the "borrowed" item in his trunk, buried beneath Quidditch gear and spare parchment.

By the time Theo and Granger return, he's sitting comfortably with his feet propped up and looking as though he's been there relaxing for ages, Granger's copy of something called "Snow Crash" in his hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what happens, do you think, after graduation?"

Draco looks up from his Runes paper to find Granger chewing the end of her quill in that, in his estimation, entirely suggestive way she has. It's March already, the end of the year looming close at hand. Sometime during the winter, they started the habit of doing their homework together almost every night. Neither addressed it. At first it was coincidence. They just happened to end up at the same place at the same time. Usually the library, both tending toward tucked away corners for privacy and often ending up in the same nook. Then one afternoon she asked him for an opinion on an essay. He consulted with her on Arithmancy charts the following week. Before he realized it, they were meeting with purpose and pulling out the same class work to confer. His marks were up by January.

He looks away, trying not to dwell on her perfect white teeth and her reddening lip in favour of the research book in front of him. "I join Malfoy Industries. My father will expect me to start in a token entry-level position and then climb the ladder, just as he had to do. Mother will start hounding me to find a match and begin the courting process. She'll probably throw some charity event or other to get the ball rolling and dress me up like a turkey for the vultures to pick over. Theo will come over occasionally. I'll drink."

He dares to glance up to find her face frozen in mild horror. She blinks and comments with some indignation on his behalf, "well that just sounds awful. Have you no say in your future at all?"

"Sure. I mean, they'll allow me to choose a witch to court. Fifty years ago, they would have made the match _for_ me. An alliance formed before I was even born. As for the family business, no, I have no choice in that."

She looks down at her own homework thoughtfully, no longer chewing the quill but instead biting her lip. When she releases it her tongue sweeps out to lap at the corner and Draco nearly groans in frustration.

Theo has been around less recently. Last he knew, he was spending time in Ravenclaw tower, getting to know Luna Lovegood in a very intimate way. This has left the common room available most nights. However, instead of leaving her here to wander about in her knickers, as she had mentioned, he has continued to use their space as his own personal common room. In the beginning of the year, she might have objected, but by now it had seemed she more expected it to continue when Theo became scarce. Even after working in the library for hours, he follows her up to unwind. He has dared to think she actually enjoys his company, at least a little.

"My family would have liked for me to follow in their footsteps, dentists you know, err… teeth healers…but I find I really have no desire to do so." She pauses another moment and then waves everything preceding away. "Anyway, that's not what I meant."

He raises a brow and asks casually, "Oh?"

He watches her blush and she picks up her quill, becoming suspiciously intent on going back over her punctuations. "I just meant I thought this year turned out surprisingly nice. I wondered if we might ever run in to each other in social circles. You know... after."

Draco grins but she doesn't see, steadfastly looking down as she is. Inside he's celebrating this development but attempts to play it cool. "Sure… I mean I'm sure I could get you an invitation to whatever stuffy ball my mother decides to throw."

She looks at him so aghast he cringes. "You think I'd be interested in _that_? Yes absolutely, Malfoy, let's see if you can sneak the little _muggle_ into your pureblood fiasco to watch witches prance around for your entertainment in the ballroom where I _met your Aunt_!" She slams her book closed with finality and he races around the low table to stop her as she is stomping away.

"No… damn it… Hermione, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking of that. I'm... It's still my _home_ to me. I mean, really awful shite happened there but before that it was my house. My bedroom is there with my Quidditch training gear and my first broom and my stuffed dragons."

He looks at her earnestly and vows, "I'd never let them make you uncomfortable: My parents. That parlour where... Mother has already begun deep renovation on that entire wing. Anywhere He ever was is to be completely gutted, total rebuild from the support beams out. That room is be a music room by next autumn."

He is looking at her imploring, still holding her arm gently when she glances down to his skin touching hers. His mind is awash with layers of anxiety and agitation. Will she throw him off? Stomp away and slam herself into her room? Laugh at his plea and remind him just why she would never deign to socialize with his family? Slap him for being so forward?

Finally she looks back up and tilts her head. "You have stuffed dragons?"

"I... yeah." He eyes her carefully and watches a slow grin, meeting it with his own. "I had a collection; namesake and all. Thirty seven at last count. I named one Potter in third year so I could glare at it when he caught the snitch."

She giggles and moves away. Flopping back into her place on the sofa, she opens her book back to her chapter. "Alright but if I come to visit you have to show me the dragons. Deal?"

He smiles and vaults over the back of his own sofa, settling down across from her and crossing his leg. "Deal."

 **A/N Wow I'm blown away by the amount of follows, faves, and reviews on this little piece! Chapter 2 is a bit transitional. Can't go from "neat, she has porn" to "Dramione HEA" without a little montage of happy moments right? I stressed about this chapter, I can now admit. I hope it is enjoyed!**

 **Enough about that. Let's not talk about me... let's talk about you! You are wonderful and I thank you all for reading! Love love love reviews and also follows and faves! Please give me more!**

 **Chapter 3 i.e. the conclusion will be forth coming.**


	3. Chapter 3

Draco raises an eyebrow when he sees Granger and Potter emerge from her bedroom with two boxes floating between them. "How much of the library did you pilfer into those boxes, Granger? Don't think we all don't know about your little beaded bag trick."

She blushes but swats at him as she passes. "I didn't take anything. This is recycling."

"I… what?" He doesn't even know how to respond. _What the bloody hell is recycling?_

"What the bloody hell is recycling?"

She stops to answer in her usual thorough way. He learned to appreciate that about her; that she never waves off a question without giving it its due. Come to think of it, he's learned to appreciate a lot about her…

"Well, in the muggle world, it's a way to reuse things so you don't have so much rubbish. Paper, for instance, can be bleached, molded, and pressed into new clean paper. They can't just transfigure matter. But for my purposes today, I'm taking some of my old magazines to line the owlery. Much easier for Mr. Filch to clean."

" _Mister_ Filch now is it?"

She shrugs and continues out the door. "He's very misunderstood. The wizarding community is dreadfully disrespectful to squibs. Something should really be done…" She trails off as she crosses the threshold.

Draco only hesitates a moment before he jumps up to follow. "Hey, Granger, hold up. I'll come with you."

Both she and Potter turn to look at him and Potter voices with suspicion, "why?"

"I need to send a letter," he lies. "I can help with the levitation. I'm sure you have your own packing to do, eh, Boy-wonder?"

A set to his jaw and subsequent, "fine", and the box drops to the floor.

"Harry!"

"What? Big strong ferret-boy is going to help." Draco isn't sure but he thinks maybe Potter sees through his attempts to spend time with her before the year ends. He's been increasingly trying to worm into her life, trying to assure that post-graduation they might be able to hold on to this odd friendship they've formed the past months. As he does so, Potter seems to have grown more agitated in his presence.

With a flourish, Draco lifts the box from the floor. Surprising to all of them, he does it the muggle way. If Potter has already caught on to what he thought were subtle attempts to ingratiate himself, might as well posture to the fullest right?

Granger rolls her eyes and starts off again. "Yes, yes, very impressive. If you two are quite finished…"

Draco winks at Harry and follows her with a spring in his step.

Halfway to the tower, he gives up his folly of physically showing off and levitates the box. It's only after does he realize what might possibly be within the parcel he's carrying. Sure enough, underneath a copy of Witch Weekly, he sees the creamy skin of a half-naked woman peeking out. Under what looks like a muggle music magazine (if the bloke holding some strange string instrument is any indication), a long leg teases into view.

Draco feels his breath quicken and thinks a thousand thoughts. Did Potter help her pack this? Does he know what types of things she gets up to? Has he… joined her? That thought makes him see red. And what of the goal of this little errand. She's going to spread blatant pornography all over the owlery?! Sure the students will be leaving tomorrow but it's completely shameless! Is it a gift for Filch? A _jab_ at Filch? Thinking of the caretaker in this capacity makes his mind almost go a _terrible_ place with Granger involved and Draco has to stop his brain by opening his mouth.

"So Potter help you pack up, did he?"

"Oh Merlin no. Harry's the most disorganized man I've ever met. He just came to help me with magazines. There were so many by the end of the year. My mother signed me up for some of them. Wanted me to stay in touch with the muggle world or something. I think the war really scared her. Then Lavender ordered me a subscription to Witch Weekly. It was a sweet gesture but really not something I needed. And of course I ordered a couple for myself. It just ended up being way too much."

"Hmm," comes his noncommittal reply to her lengthy explanation.

They continue on in silence and have nearly reached the tower when he says as subtle as he can, "You know, I've never really been exposed to muggles. I mean, not in a positive way. Maybe you could let me flip through some of these?"

She makes a noise that's sort of a gasp and a shriek and turns on him with bright eyes. "That's _brilliant_! Why didn't I think of that?!"

He's pleased with himself, about to pat himself on the proverbial back when she goes on, "I should donate these to Muggle Studies! I mean it would be nice for the owlery but not necessary. I just didn't know what else to do with them. Oh, Draco, thank you! Let's head there instead!"

She bounces forward, leaving him with his mouth hanging open. She called him 'Draco'. Even after this many months he's always been relegated to "Malfoy". Always at arm's length. She called him 'Draco' and said 'thank you' and smiled and…

…wait.

 _She wants to donate these to Muggle Studies?_

He tears off after her to try to talk some sense into this obviously very liberal witch.

"That's a nice thought, Granger, but I don't think these are all appropriate."

She slows her pace to look back at him. "Why not? The Muggle Studies curriculum is laughably out of date. I know these are mostly a bit more popular culture than history but it's important to study all aspects of muggles."

"Are you sure the Wizarding world is ready though? I mean… for _this much_ muggle culture."

"What are you implying?" She looks suddenly suspicious and frowns, stopping again in her tracks. "I thought you were past this. All this 'wizarding pride' and muggle judgement. You ate fish and chips…"

It was true. On the last holiday before end of year, she had dragged him to a street vendor before they parted ways to their respective homes and introduced him to one aspect of muggle food. And now he's gone and botched up all their months of progress by giving her the wrong impression.

"I did. I mean I am… past this. Past all that. I didn't mean you shouldn't take _some_ of them but maybe some of this will be too much of a shock, you know, right now. Until more change happens…" He's floundering and he knows it by the continued downturn of her lips. Finally he sighs and says, "You're choice, Granger. Maybe I just need to trust your judgement. You know your world better than anyone here. They should just let you teach the bloody class."

As always, a little stroke to her intellect and her sunny smile starts to return.

"That's a notion. Can you imagine, me teaching Muggle Studies?"

He grins and nods, moving to follow her again. "I can actually. I can visualize quite well." He mimics her voice in a slightly higher pitch than his own, "Class, that will be one hundred inches on muggle pornography due tomorrow."

She reaches over to slap him lightly on the arm and huffs. He grins even wider.

Draco notices they have reached a corridor of the castle, far from any dormitories, and close to very little, and realizes this is the best chance they might have for privacy from now until perhaps never. "Speaking of," he begins as nonchalantly as possible, "is that as prevalent in the muggle world as it seems? Pornography?"

He sees her blush and she, much to his surprise considering what's in the box under his nose, deflects, "What makes you ask?"

He gapes at her a little. "Well, I mean… you've not really gone to lengths to hide yours now have you?"

The falter in her steps and following look of horror have him backpedaling. He holds up his hands to mimic self-defense. "I'm not judging or anything. I mean I just figured it was cultural, you know? I'm trying to learn?" He finishes weakly and very much sounding like a question.

"Have you been going through my things?" He voice rises into definite anger when she asks, "Is that what you do when you're alone in the common room?! Dig around in my room and find something to embarrass me?"

She stomps away, box following her floating with ataxic movements in her agitation, and throws back over her shoulder, "I can't believe you! I actually thought… UGH!"

Draco drops the levitation charm on the box and lets it fall by his feet before taking off after her. He puts a hand on her shoulder to spin her around and her own box falls with her mind finally too distracted to keep the spell. "Granger, what the hell?! I haven't been through your things." He thinks back to the day he stole one of her magazines with a little guilt but the Slytherin in him allows a half-truth to set his mind at ease. "I mean, there was that time you said I could borrow something to read and I looked but you _told_ me I could."

"Wait…" She stops for a second and he sees that familiar "wheels turning" expression on her face. Her lip bit between her teeth and her brows knitted together, she is coming up with something-

"What exactly is it you found?"

Draco sweeps his hand at first the box by her feet and then the one he dropped a few paces back. "This. _All_ of this. How can you be surprised? You're about to turn it all in to Muggle Studies for Salazar's sake!"

"So…" She gestures to the same boxes and works out, "You thought this was pornography?" He nods once, not liking at all the Cheshire smile stretching her face when she explodes with laughter and doubles over, holding her stomach and wiping tears from her face.

"Oh my God, Malfoy, are you serious," she somehow sputters between gasps of breath.

The look on his face goes from surprised to annoyed to purely petulant as she loses all control. Finally, as her laughter tapers into gulping breaths and small huffs he crosses his arms and asks with not a little frustration, "Are you _quite_ done?"

She nods and wipes her eyes one last time, shaking her head at him. "I'm sorry. I just… wow. Is this how prudish purebloods are? I knew wizarding society was a little backwards…"

 _Prudish?_ He's been accused of that before and didn't care for it but it carries a whole different weight from a witch he fancies.

"Well what do you call this garbage then? Education? Literature? There's not much writing in them."

She bends over and picks up one of the magazines. Draco is terrified they might be caught and looks both ways down the corridor, taking a half step away from her and her muggle contraband. She flips the item open and points at some of the words he hadn't bothered to read. "It's a catalog, Malfoy. This one happens to be a lingerie catalog. You can buy… you know… underthings." She is blushing again and it makes him feel a little better that she finds this intimate enough to be uncomfortable.

He scoffs, "A catalog? Who in their right mind would wear this? What's even the point of that one? There's nothing on the back side!"

Her jaw clinches. "Quite a lot of women would wear something like this. I suppose from your pureblood perspective it might make a witch's virtue questionable? Do you lot still have virginity tests before the dowry is handed over?"

She tosses the magazine back on the pile and levitates the box once again. "Perhaps the owlery is more appropriate then, if this is the reaction I can expect." She flips her hair over her shoulder as she starts off and throws out a follow-up, "I'm sure it's nothing you'll need to worry about. Doubt any Slytherin princess bought and sold to be your bride will have anything like this to _embarrass_ you."

He's been standing slack-jawed in the most unbecoming way when he realizes they are back to her stomping away and him needing to chase after her. What the fuck just happened?

She's offended.

Merlin's balls she's offended. Does that mean she owns… Holy dragons she thinks he's judging her because she might own some… Fuck!

"Granger, wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it, really. I just… I've never seen anything like this. My mother would never… I didn't even know this _existed_. I'm sorry, alright?" His hand is back on her shoulder and he is mustering as much sincerity in his gaze as he can.

He thought he was interested in her before? Dear Gods she might be wearing something like that _right now_!

"It doesn't make me a tart," she says, still defensive.

He shakes his head in earnest. "Of course not. I never meant that."

"Sometimes a girl just wants to feel pretty. Even if it's just for herself."

For herself? Does that imply she's not dressing up for another wizard necessarily? He does a mental high-five with himself.

"I really am sorry, if you thought I was implying anything about you. I was just curious and… surprised."

She nods and looks at the box with a sigh. "I guess I know what you meant now, about the wizarding world not being ready."

He nods, going back to the early part of the conversation when something occurs to him. "Wait though, if these are just clothing catalogs…" a slow grin crawls across his lips, "what was it you _thought_ I found?"

She looks away and mumbles, "Nothing. Nevermind that."

"Is there something… Merlin, is there something _more_ than this?!"

Grangers tilts her head as if the Heavens might have an answer and pinches the bridge of her nose. She laments, "This is just what I needed: Something for you to torture me with again."

He frowns at her and his mild elation drops away. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Trying to find something to use against you?"

"Well, are you? I mean first it was the blood status, mixed in heavily with my study habits, and then my hair and my teeth and just _everything_ about me. Just when I think you might be looking past all that, you find this little treasure to turn on me."

He shakes his head, "I wasn't. That wasn't at all what I was doing."

"What exactly was it you were doing then?" She eyes him warily and he rubs the back of his neck nervously.

"I just thought maybe, if I brought it up, we might move to another... I don't know... level. Together. Like our friendship or whatever this is."

"Whatever this is?" she parrots back.

"Well, what do _you_ think it is?" He gestures between them.

"I'm not sure. I thought maybe we were friends. You... you invited me to your house. But then I think maybe I'm reading in too much. Maybe I'm just convenient and as soon as you find something that makes me an easy target it will be back to the way it was for so long."

She's looking down and away a little and fidgeting her foot and he realizes they are both nervous for the first time in weeks. Months. Maybe ever. Maybe this is what it is to be truly nervous with a girl because unlike Pansy or the Greengrass sisters or that Henrietta what's-her-name he met in France, this one might really matter.

Draco straightens his spine and meets her head on. "It will never go back to the way it was. I'm not the same and neither are you. You're intelligent, Granger; I assumed you knew that."

"Yes well I find my mind processes information in books more readily than that of the human condition."

She's all haughty and pouty like she gets sometimes and he chuckles, daring a step forward. "What are we even arguing about?"

Sighing she admits, "I'm not even sure. For my part, I would say this is a typical defensive response to feeling embarrassed. I think you just enjoy getting a rise out of me."

 _Well if there was ever a better cue…_

"I _would_ enjoy that, but not the way you meant." He steps forward again, right into her personal space, and runs one finger down her jaw to lift her chin. "The invitation still stands you know."

She's looking up, so very close and with trepidation mixed with something else entirely. "What invitation?"

"To my home," he mumbles as he lowers his head to land one achingly soft kiss to the corner of her lips.

"I-" She doesn't seem to have anything to add so he kisses her again, this time with a little more purpose, a little more everything. His hand moves to cup her neck, holding her in place and his other moves around her frame to pull her closer. There is no resistance and then her hands shoot up to either side of his face and he feels her fingers bury into his hair, clinging lightly at the nape of his neck. Her tongue is lapping at his lip lightly, before he could even think to take the kiss anywhere more, and he groans as he allows her as much control as she wants to take.

He's not sure how long they stand there, kissing madly in the corridor, but eventually they both slow their pace and pull carefully back, her hands still clinging to his jumper.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," she confesses and Draco's heart sings.

"So it wasn't just me then?" He grins at her and lets his hand trail her arm to grasp her fingers in his.

She smiles back, seeming shy which he finds terribly endearing. Isn't she the saucy nymph, so well-versed with muggle sex?

He gestures around him, "So what do we do with all of this then?"

"Oh! I'd forgotten…" he chuckles as she trails off. "I suppose the owlery? Or maybe the music and fashion magazines to Muggle Studies?"

He kisses her once, "Whatever you want but just do it quick. I'd like to spend our last day at Hogwarts with you. I mean, err…unless you had other plans…" _Smooth, Draco_ , he thinks to himself.

She giggles at his awkward invitation but nods. She tilts her head in thought then and comments, "Of course I've spent nearly every day with you for months so I guess I sort of just planned on that already."

"You know," Draco begins, a smile stretches his lips, "you _could_ give some of these to Theo. I mean, they're women's magazines right? Maybe he'd like to pass them along to Luna."

She rolls her eyes at him. "You do realize he's just going to think I'm giving them to him to use together. As a couple, I mean."

"Oh , yes I _know_ ," he says, tasting the idea on his tongue and it's just delicious.

Hermione's smile is slower to come but then there it is and they are grinning at each other devilishly. He knew she had a wicked streak. What fun they'll have together.

"Isn't it _too bad_ ," she says, "that I have all of this great information about muggles just going to waste? Luna would probably find this fascinating, after all. She's had so little exposure to them..." She grows a bit stern then, "but I get to choose which ones we give them.

He shrugs. Of course she'd want to soften the blow and choose something tame...

"And I think Theo should get something too. My mum accidently sent over one of my father's magazines in one batch."

"Accio Maxim."

A single magazine zips out of the box into her hand and she presents it to him for approval, an eyebrow raised.

The cover is red with garish yellow print and some less obvious white letters. But all Draco sees is the giant yellow word "Naked!" and a woman with windswept hair cupping her breasts so delicately it barely obscures her nipples. "This is... this is your father's?!"

She shrugs but her grin is knowing. "It's a men's magazine. Likes to skirt around decency while maintaining that it's not actually pornographic. See?" She points to the upper left, "There's an article about proper diet. Very respectable."

He continues to glance at it a moment, a bit more transfixed than he should be on the swell of another woman's breasts, and catches Hermione smirking at him in bemusement. He clears his throat and hands it back, agreeing, "That's perfect. That for Theo and then what for Luna?"

"Accio Victoria's Secret holiday catalog." This one flies out of the box Draco had been carrying. "This for her. Though it's from Christmas so a little out of date." He eyes the five women across the cover, all with different hair colors and varying complexions, and all wearing nothing but perfectly coordinated small clothes.

His jaw is probably hanging open as he takes it in and then Hermione points to the leopard print set on a woman with lovely caramel skin. "I ordered that one as a little holiday treat for myself. It's just a shame I've not had anyone to share it with..."

When he looks up, she winks.

They never make it to the owlery or Muggle Studies that day but when Theo finds them cuddled on the couch together in the common room that night, they offer him a pile of magazines. They had tremendous fun choosing the group and barely manage to stifle giggles together when he stares at them wide eyed.

"Really, Theo, no reason to be such a prude," Draco taunts.

Hermione agrees with him, nodding as she snuggles closer to the man she has claimed as her own, "Precisely. It's not as if this is terribly explicit material. Just wait until I introduce you to muggle cinema."

Draco looks down at her in question and she looks back with a smile. "Remember when I _thought_ I knew what you'd found in my room?"

He blushes and nods. "Oh, Draco, just you wait..."

He grins like a loon, feeling like the luckiest wizard on earth.

 **A/N Finished! That was terribly fun... did you have fun? I hope so because there's a lot of you! I'm stunned by how many followers this had for a little 3-part and I can't thank you enough! I would love reviews on the final installment and follows that turn into faves are also such a thrill. Thank you to all of you reading and reviewing and faving and following. It makes writing such a pleasure**

 **The Maxim issue I used for visual reference, if you are curious, is February 1998 with Kelly Brook. For the Victoria secret, I googled Victoria secret Christmas and used the cover with 5 models (London edition). I think it's technically 1997 so please forgive the slight time anomoly**

 **If you have not read anything else from me, I invite you to play around in my tiny little library. I still love receiving faves and reviews on finished pieces. Don't think for a moment that just because something is finished that I don't still feel that rush of adrenaline when I see a notification!**

 **For fluffier fair, another muggle misinterpretation adventure, maybe take a look at the one-shot, _The Pick-Up Artist_ , posted earlier this month.**

 **For something more serious, a bit more length, I recently finished a multi-chapter, _Dreams of Requirement_ , that has had an amazing response. It's creeping up on 300 reviews which would be a milestone for me. Cookies all around to anyone who will help make that happen!**

 **Ok not _literally_ cookies. I don't bake... and I don't know where you live... but cyber cookies i.e. me saying "thanks so much" and gushing at you in a PM.**


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